Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper

Across the Fence: Amanda

In 1850 more than 35,000 seekers of fortune converged on the "Queen City of the Trails," known as Independence, Missouri. The glitter of gold had sparked a fever across the continent that could only be cured by going west, to California. The year before, 1849, had seen more than 30,000 pioneers load their wagons, yoke their teams and strike off on a journey that would take nearly five months to cover more than 1,700 miles. It was a journey filled with hardship, disappointment, excruciating fatigue and, too often, death.

In the two years of 1849 and '50 more than 4,000 of those who made the...

 

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